One of my favorite things to do on older project cars is throw a few period-correct performance parts/rock band/bumper stickers on. However given that the stickers are actually new they often stick out on otherwise patina'd vehicle.
I know that the genuine look tends to come from age and decades of UV exposure. However I can't leave a couple of stickers in the sun for 10 years to go on my project car right now, and modern vinyl stickers seem pretty damn fade resistant anyway.
Is there a clever way that you can manually age some vinyl stickers to simulate the UV-faded "been on there a long time" look?
The only and easiest way I would know of would be Photoshop or similar. You can buy blank decal sheets, rip off whatever you want on the web, age as needed, and print. Not that I've done any of that, of course. I read it somewhere.
Mndsm
MegaDork
2/18/25 5:12 p.m.
hit it with a uv light and a heat gun?
In reply to Mndsm :
Right, like one of the UV-C 'germicidal' lamps. It's not simulating UV-fading, it's doing UV-fading.
Obvious safety warning, be careful with those things: "ionizing radiation" and all that.
In reply to Shadeux :
Unfortunately that doesn't really do what I'm looking for, the vinyl stock is still brand new and there's a visible difference.
In reply to Mndsm :
I thought about trying a heat gun, will experiment with some old crap stickers and see how it works. UV light might be something to try too...in an enclosed area with an external switch as Oapfu reminds me 
In reply to pointofdeparture :
You're in California. I have faith in the California sun being able to age a sticker quickly that is left inside a hot car, in direct sunlight, like left on the dashboard.
Mndsm
MegaDork
2/18/25 6:23 p.m.
pointofdeparture said:
In reply to Shadeux :
Unfortunately that doesn't really do what I'm looking for, the vinyl stock is still brand new and there's a visible difference.
In reply to Mndsm :
I thought about trying a heat gun, will experiment with some old crap stickers and see how it works. UV light might be something to try too...in an enclosed area with an external switch as Oapfu reminds me
SO THATS WHY BLUE SMELLS FUNNY NOW
John Welsh said:
In reply to pointofdeparture :
You're in California. I have faith in the California sun being able to age a sticker quickly that is left inside a hot car, in direct sunlight, like left on the dashboard.
San Francisco isn't LA. It's 45 degrees and foggy here for half of the year!
ShawnG
MegaDork
2/18/25 7:54 p.m.
Scuff them up with some fine steel wool maybe.
Mix 2 parts candy yellow, to one part candy orange. Dilute heavily. Spray a test sticker. Add layers or reduce the thinner ratio to the desired aging.
You can often find actual vintage stickers on eBay.
My first thought was heat, but that's likely to have undesirable consequences. What about staining them? Kinda like sepia toning a photographic print.
You can always use wood stain markers and a soft washcloth with a tad bit of acetone to smear it around the edges as well.
Acetone might strip them too much. I'd try isopropyl alcohol to thin/fade the colors
Keith Tanner said:
You can often find actual vintage stickers on eBay.
So, a funny thing regarding old stickers.
I needed/wanted a very particular sticker for my old BMX bike.
I found the sticker! NOS. Super, super rare.
It didn’t stick at all.
I still need to glue it on.
Cruise the local boneyards with a battery heat gun, some plastic razor blades, a stiff cardboard tube, and a few feet of waxed paper.
Heat the stickers, peel them, stick them to the waxed paper. Roll them up and stick em in the tube for safe transport.
Alternately, 3 ring binder, some plastic sleeves for 8.5x11 sheets will transport them safely.
When you get home, flip them upside down, hit them with some 3M Super 77, and stick em.
Success is not guaranteed but is achievable. Some types of stickers peel better then others. You will quickly find out which.
Its honestly pretty fun way to spend a nice Saturday. best if you can go with a few buddies and have them help you spot the best ones.
